Sectional vessel



Feb. 13, 1945. P. P. S MITH SEGTIONAL VESSEL Filed llarh 1:5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 13, 1945. P. P. SMITH 2,369,615

SECTIONAL VESSEL Fi led March 13, 1942 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

PETER PQSIMITH.

Paul ATM ATTORNEY.

ing and raising it.

. A'ship section locking device which draws.

\ tanks and swash bulkheads.

of a sectional vessel to the surface.

' a section.

Patented Feb. 13, 1945 jpommp STATES sEcrIoNAL VESSEL Peter P. Smith, Teaneck, N. J.

Application March13,

3 Claims;

My invention relates to a vessel constructed so that its several sections may be easily detached one from theother or may be attached to provide a sea-going ship. Among the purposes and objects of my invention are to provide:

A plurality of self aligning ship sections. Detachable ship sections and propelling means for eachsection. v

A plurality of sinkable sections detachably secured toeachother to form a ship andalso tanks, when separated, which may be hidden beneath the. surface,- then raised and self-propelled on the surface.-

A detachable: ship sec tion and a means'for sinkone section toward another section.

A sectional vessel and protecting guns.

A sectional vessel having a ram on its forwa section for sinking submarines. A sectional vessel, each sectionof which has'a surface for resting on the bottom separately or when the sectionsare joined together.

A sectional vessel having ballast and trimming Anair raising mechanism for raising sections Scuttling valves or sea cocks and deck operating handles for Sinking sections of a sectional vessel to the bottom. v v

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein set forth and shownin the accompanying drawings froming a part hereof in which: d

. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my vess Fig. 2 is a section at 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail and plan of oneof the section locking levers.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elev one of the section locking devices.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a modifica ation of tion of Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the draw links. Fig. 7 is a plan of one ofthe lock levers. f Fig. 8 is a detail showing the ,movement of one of the lock levers and draw links.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a se on the bottoms under water. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings and in the specification to follow.

My sectional vessel or ship is of particular interest in war time and its construction andifeatures are particularly adapted to reduce. the dam-,v age which may be caused by submarines and air ction 1942, Serial No. 434, ssf

(cum-77) craft and to meet the demand for carrying and storing oil and gasoline.

It is the purpose of this detailed specification; to illustrate by description and drawings an embodiment, and to suggest by one .of the many modifications possible to suit my invention tothe uses for which it is adapted. The details herein described are not intended to limit the breadth or scope of my invention but rather to make this my disclosure more easily understood.

To those skilled in the. art to which this invention pertains, after a study of this disclosure, modifications maybe suggested without departing from the principles underlying my invention or the appended claims which set it forth.

My sectional ship is adapted to rest in thedocks from which the water has been removed; either in its whole assembly of parts orthe sectional V or a part of them may be separately drydocked. The sections may be fabricated or built in remote parts andin places not commonly employed in the building of ships and the parts may later be assembledat any desired port for the voyage at sea or to a faroff land. Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown my vessel as having a forward .or bow section I, an after or stem section 2 and one or a plurality of intermediate sections 3, which may be duplicates or may be so constructed at their forward ends 4 as .to'mate with and be secured .to the after ends5 of another section. I The forward section I is preferably provided vm'th an extended stem iron or ram 6 and guns I. and utility space 8 such as crews quarters, galley, and stores, and steering gear, etc. The steering gear may, however, be provided in the stern section 2 and other utility space 9.

Thestern section 2 may also be providedwith the rudder l0, propellers ll, engine room and engines l2, including pumps, electrical equipment and, air compressor l3 which is used to force the water out of the ballast tanks 14 and trimming tanks l5 which may be of various sizes and ca- 46 pacities in the various sections best suited to sink and raise the sections or their ends and sides as desired. The guns l6 are provided aft to augment the guns 1 forward in driving oif attackers. I have provided a hose [1 which may be sup- 5b plied with compressed air from the compressor room or wells 2| which are accessible through the deck hatches 22. The engines may be geared to the propelle shafts to the twin screws- 23; The controls 24i; for the engines are carried to the top and to a central control station so that one man may handle both engines and so posi-; tioned that an operator may increase or decrease the speed of either engine of the pair to steerthe section or to turn it around or reverseitssdirec= tion from ahead to astern. Thus, one section may proceed under its own power-up to another section and then be connected to it or the reverse may be the case as a section mayback into the section which isto-follow it when assembled."-

The engines 20 may all operate together inaddition to the main engines It or separately and only when propelling-theindividualisection. The pipes 25" for exhausting the gases of combustion may be provided with check valve 126 preventing theiinflowof water whenuthe section-is submerged or each may be-capped lfl and-thusmadewate To look each section to: another, I haveprovided the bottom pins 28iwhiclrengage=thebosses Zilton theafter ends: and 3Ilion=the forwardiendsl On:= the forward ends of the section above the bosses 2.9: and 30 inboth'the-forward and after ends off'the conjoining sections, I have: providedthe vertical grooves or recesses 34- and on the after-ends the-groovesilwhichform wells when the sections are joined and. the wells: receive the pin operating rods, 33 which are swingingly -secured atitheirbottom ends to the pins andat th irta nds-lto the lock levers 34 whichcombine with draw-links 3 5 todraw the-topsotthesections; toward each other whenitiis 'desire'dto lock them in place and also simultaneously'force'the pins:- 283 into. the bosses, thereby. locking: the sectionsifirmly together; plurality of bosses, pinsand' lock: levers and draw links=may=be provided togive-the desired strength;

The operationuofthe locking device-may: be -bet teruunderstoodby referring to Figs; 3, 4:,- 6; Tian'cl 8;.- .Ihe levers.- 34 combine with the links: 35 120 form a toggle joint which, as the sections are broughtctogether; so increase the leverageae to exert extreme tension on: the link with: little efi'ortaon the; end-i36 of the=lever which is locked onto: the deck. 3]; by: the: bosses- 38- and pins 39 which pass. through. the end" off the lever and: through the bosses;

The levers :swing on the: pins 1 which engage their bifurcated ends: 411 aswell as thebosses 42? secured to the: forward 2 ends and entire decks Ofi each-section. The links: receivethe pinsdi which detachably; secure one-end to thebosses; the other" ends of: thellinkslaredetachably secured to thetleversh34::by thepin 455 The bosses-Fare; securedatoithe after; end of I each section andiwhen the lever isswung to the position: shown in Figs; hand-e8; the: three: pins t 4.0; 451 and 45j'; are on a: dead centerline preventing. movementwunder the extreme stressv to which they: may: become subjectect.

Theysoperatingr rods; 33; are connected J to theleyersguaby th6za'lmS545I andipinsi lrzands'the arms;

by? beings so shaped; as toil extends down; intozrthe.

recesses 3| and 32, permit nearly a half revolution and extend upwardly when the lever is at its unlocked position, permitting greater travel of the pins 41 than the pins 45, thus causing a greater vertical travel B than the travel A of the water when the section is sunk to the bottom or to trimit to assist in joining the sections to which itmay; be secured.

The after bottom end of each section is prefer- 'ably provided with an extended sweep 4B which cooperates with the rounded forward bottom curved or beveled end 49 of the conjoining sectio'ntor guide one section into place with another. Likewise; the bosses 2-9: and 30 and' the recesses betweenand at; their ends guide the sections into theirprop'eralignment;

The modification shown in Fig. 5 ,2 inwhich the sections: areshown as? cylindrical, thepropellers orl-ttwinzscrews: 2:3 are protected and'the sections are supported from rolling in a seawayand'onthe bottom lbytthe bilge ke els :50.

l; have show-min dotted lines 51, someofthe hulkliearisi both. fore and aft and thwart ships suchiasdor the engine spacesiin' the sectionsand the bottoms for the various tanks. These,- how ever, may; be variecl considerably to suit' the size and service of my sectional VESSEL InFig; l; I: have-shown'light, mean aridload water lines, unbroken lines, and propelling means below them'so that: at all times the propellers are under water and thu's suitableto operate my vessel under any load and sea conditions;

The compressor I3 is preferably prov-ided with aside-ondeckconnection 52 suitable to attach to the hose l1 forraising the intermediate sec tions from .the bottom.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown the pins-5'3suitableto normally look the end-'ofthelevers 34* to the deck by meansof the bosses 54'. The pin 5'3 may-be secured to-or formed integral with the sol'enoid core 5'5-which maybeoperated by theswitch 56 to withdraw the pin fromsaid lever permittingth end of lever to be raisedtonnlock one section from the other;

The end levers- 34 may be raised" and moved away from their dead centers to which they-are placed when the sectionsare locked together,- by

the spring or other lever-operatingmeans 51.

Compressed air or hydrauliccyli'nder maybe substituted for the spring lever operating means in som cases and the switch 56- may be located near the pilot of my sectional vessel'to-releasethe sections fromtheir locked together relation in emergency, such a may occur when one of the sectionsistor-pedoed. The damaged section may be lefttosin-k or drift away from the other seetionswhich may again be connected; together and to each other, each of said sections mating when united with the adjacent sections, and deck levers locking each of the section to adjacent sections and lever operating and releasing means to unlock the sections from each other comprising a draw link swingingly secured to said leverat levers locking each of the sections to adjacent sections and lever operating and releasing me ns to unlock the sections from each other comp sing a draw link swingingly secured to said lever at one end thereof and detachably secured to'the adjacent section to draw two of said sections 't'ogether and lock pins and bosses at the bottom 'of adjacent sections and operating rods swingingly' secured to said deck levers moving said pins into and out of engagement with said bosses by the movement of said lever, and separate propelling means for said intermediate sections to operate each section independently of each other section.

3. In a sectional vessel, a bow section and stern section and intermediate sections secured thereto and to each other, each of said sections mating when united with the adjacent sections, and deck levers locking each of the sections to adjacent sections and, lever operating and releasing means to unlock the section from each other comprising a draw link swingingly secured to said lever at one end thereof and detachably secured to the adjacent section to draw two of said sections together and lock pins and bosses at the bottom of adjacent sections and operating rods swingingly secured to said, deck levers moving said pins into and out of engagement with said bosses by the movement of said lever, and separate propelling means for said intermediate section to operate each section independently of each other section and means for steering each section independently of the other sections when separated from other sections.

PETER P. SMITH. 

